What speed a new motorcycle rider should choose

What the rules say

Under the Liiklusseadus you may ride up to 50 km/h in a built-up area and up to 90 km/h outside one. On four-lane roads with separated directions the limit rises to 110 or 120 km/h, and on 2+1 roads to 100 km/h. Look at the signs: they matter more than memory. Categories A1 and A2 limit the motorcycle's power (A1 up to 125 cc and 11 kW, A2 up to 35 kW). No separate speed limits for them were found.

The main rule

You have to be able to stop within what you can see ahead. If you can see 30 m of road and you need 40 m, you are going too fast.

Why speed matters so much

If the speed is twice as high, the stopping distance is about four times longer. As a guide (figures for cars): at 50 km/h you need about 25 m on a dry road and 36 m on a wet one, at 100 km/h about 70 m dry and 121 m wet.

Advice for a new rider

Make the first rides on quiet roads and practice areas, and raise the speed gradually.

Run in a new motorcycle the way the maker's instructions say.

Slow down before a bend, not in the middle of it. Look where you want to go.

In the rain the stopping distance is longer. Ride slower, use the throttle and the brakes smoothly, and double the gap.

Wet leaves and a cold morning or evening make the road slippery. In autumn you need to ride noticeably slower.

On gravel keep the speed very low, and do not grab the front brake hard.

In a group, do not chase the fastest rider. Ride at your own pace, with a safe gap.

Keep a gap of at least two seconds, and about four in the rain.

Watch the tyres and the brakes: worn ones make the stopping distance longer.

A tired or cold rider reacts more slowly, so take breaks.

Fines for speeding

If a camera records the offence, the fine is €7 for each km/h over the limit, up to €420. If the police write it up, up to 20 km/h over can mean a fine of up to €240, and up to 40 km/h over a fine of up to €800 or a ban of up to 6 months. At 41–60 km/h over, the penalty can be a fine of up to €1,600, detention, or a ban of up to 12 months. Over 60 km/h: a fine of up to €2,400, detention, or a ban of up to 24 months.